dead in the water

The phrase "dead in the water" originates from nautical terminology and is commonly used to describe situations that are stalled or doomed to fail.

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Definition

B2General

(informal)Stalled or unable to progress, often with little hope of recovery.

Example

The project is dead in the water due to lack of funding.
After the scandal, the politician's career was dead in the water.

C1Nautical

(technical)Stationary with no means of propulsion, unable to move.

Example

The ship was dead in the water after the engine failed.

Similar

Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "dead in the water":

dead water dead as a dodo dead on arrival dead duck dead to the world die on the vine dead meat deader than disco dead fish dead stick dead stand dead calm dead and buried dead or alive dead man walking dead air dead money dead end dead donkey dead wood still water washed up dead hand dead weight run dry dead sleep dead ground sink like a stone leave for dead living dead